Kerry Bog Pony

by Catherine Sullivan

Title

Kerry Bog Pony

Artist

Catherine Sullivan

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

This cute bay Kerry Bog Pony is labeled as Ireland's "Heritage Pony" and is one of Ireland's most protected equine breeds.
He was peacefully lying down and as soon as he saw me quickly got up and looked at me in case I had a carrot or an apple to give him (as usual!!!). This time I also had my camera with me!

The Kerry Bog Pony is a mountain and moorland breed of pony that originated in Ireland. Possibly descended from the Irish Hobby horse, it originally lived a mainly feral existence in the peat bogs of what is now County Kerry in southwestern Ireland. Local inhabitants used the ponies as pack and cart horses for transporting peat and kelp to the villages. The breed developed physical characteristics including a low weight-to-height ratio and an unusual footfall pattern, which helped it move on soft ground such as peat bogs. The ponies were known for hardiness and an ability to survive in harsh conditions.
In the early 2000s, the breed was recognised by the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food and the European Commission; equine passports began to be issued for members of the breed, and small numbers of ponies were exported to the United States. At the same time, Irish and American breed registries were formed. As of 2011, the registered population is more than 300 ponies.
This breed has advanced the methodology and efficiency of agriculture and transportation by providing the necessary force needed to plough and travel across the Kerry bogs, which are harsh marshlands.
Nowadays the Kerry Bog Pony is popular for conservation grazing. They can graze areas of difficult terrain that machinery cannot access. They are natural browsers and selective grazers, leaving a mosaic of habitat if the site is being managed extensively. The breed has been used by BirdWatch Ireland to graze areas for ground nesting birds such as fen wetlands, saltmarshes, dune systems and upland grasslands. Care should be taken when ponies are on good grazing ground that they do not gain too much condition as this renders them vulnerable to laminitis.

This picture was taken in a field close to Dunboy Castle, Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Ireland.

FEATURED in:
Fine Art America Professionals 07/06/2022
The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland 06/09/2022
Animal Photographs 05/31/2022

Uploaded

May 31st, 2022

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